Access to affordable housing should be recognised as a basic human right. In a wealthy country such as Australia it should be supported by government policy at all levels, with the planning systems and infrastructure to deliver it.
For decades, Australia’s minerals and energy export boom has delivered huge profits. But this wealth has not been distributed equally or fairly.
For example, in Western Australia, in the heart of the mining boom, people on lower incomes have been squeezed out of the housing market altogether, and have suffered from reduced access to other services.
The boom has also caused distortions in sectors such as employment, where the mining industry has employed so many workers in construction, it has caused shortages in skilled workers elsewhere.
The boom has also affected housing supply. The federal government encouraging people to buy housing as an investment led to rising housing prices, as well as an over-supply of high-end housing and shortages at the lower end of the market.
Low-income workers and welfare beneficiaries especially are struggling. The ongoing Anglicare survey of affordable rental properties reveals there is a shortage, particularly in western Sydney. Few properties are to be found in the lower-end bracket.
Access to housing is further squeezed by the state government withdrawing their investment in public housing. For more than a decade, non-government social housing providers and private investment have been replacing government investment in public housing.
This may assist state governments to reduce their costs, but it doesn’t help single people, families and the aged to find suitable and affordable housing. A tragic result of this is a continuing rise in homelessness.
Research shows that the western Sydney region is bearing the brunt of the housing affordability crisis. Because this region has been neglected for so long, it is in an ideal position for an expansion in housing supported by the necessary infrastructure, including an efficient and integrated public transport system and a set of coordinated government policies to ensure the sustainability of such communities, at all levels.
The approach needed is not large-scale densification or urban sprawl, but one based on sensitivity to existing communities — their culture, identity, history and character — and building appropriate housing close to employment and transport hubs to reduce the need for extensive commutes from one end of Sydney to the other.
It is the role of government, at all levels, to ensure that people’s right to housing is met. The Western Sydney Housing Coalition (WSHC) is launching a campaign to make affordable housing a federal election issue.
The campaign launch follows broad consultation by the WSHC, in conjunction with Australians For Affordable Housing, with communities in western Sydney, during which many people said that housing is the number one issue for them.
As part of the campaign, a series of “Meet the Candidates” public forums, initially in key electorates in western Sydney, will be organised.
The first will be held in the federal seat of Macarthur, at Campbelltown Civic Centre at 6.30pm on August 5, followed by a forum in the seat of Parramatta, at Parramatta Town Hall, 6.30pm on August 8.
[Peter Butler is chairperson of the Western Sydney Housing Coalition. For more information, visit Australians for Affordable Housing's website.]